Neshaminy School District
KAYAKING AT A SCHOOL WITHOUT A POOL
written by Terry Martian and Jane Gibbons

The lack of an aquatic facility at a school can often deter a Physical Education program from implementing this outdoor activity. With grant writing and other sources of fundraising or partnering this obstacle can be overcome.

What you need to begin:

• Kayaking equipment: kayaks, paddles, helmets, personal floatation devices, scooters, mats
• Community pool
• Open water experience; e.g. a lake or pond
• Transportation for students and kayaks

Course Overview

• Safety and proper use of the helmet and the PFD
• Correct technique of entering and exiting the kayak taught in the gym, reviewed at a pool
• Basic paddling skills taught in the gym, reviewed at the pool
• Survival and rescue techniques practiced at a pool
• Peer assessment during pool practice
• Culminating activity: field trip to open water

Additional Resources

• www.nasbla.org: National governing body, director of state agencies
• www.rbff.org: Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation
  • Best Practices Workbook for Boating, Fishing, and Aquatic Resources Stewardship Education
  • Program planning kit
• www.futurefisherman.org: Future Fisherman Foundation; the American Sportfishing Association’s non-profit foundation for fishing recruitment and education.
• Grants Coordinator Future Fisherman Foundation 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 420 Alexander, VA 22314
• Jane Gibbons - jgibbons@neshaminy.k12.pa.us
• Terry Martian - tmartian@neshaminy.k12.pa.us
• Kathleen Kenney- kkenney@neshaminy.k12.pa.us

MIDDLE SCHOOL KAYAKING: Some lessons may take longer than allotted time. Estimate 10-12 class periods pre group.

Safety in and around water

1. Equipment used in kayaking:
   • Life vest and helmet adjustment
   • Parts of a kayak
   • Parts and assembly of paddle
   • Orientation to paddling (on deck)
2. Entering kayak from side of pool
   • Paddling with arms
   • Basic paddling with paddle: forward, turn sweep, reverse and draw
3. Wet exit demonstration
   • Demonstrate wet exit
   • Enter kayak from back while in water
   • Enter kayak from side if in shallow water
   • Emptying kayak
4. Kayak tag and basketball
   • Utilize paddling, reentry and edging/leaning skills
5. Rescue practices
   • Kayak over kayak righting
6. Skill Assessment, challenges and games

The Neshaminy School District is a large suburban Philadelphia school district located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The district is in proximity to county and state parks with a lake or creek and wooded areas with trails that are adjacent to two of the schools. Two of the three middle schools have large indoor swimming pools.

During the years when lifelong recreational activities became a focus for many school districts, Neshaminy took the initiative to find creative resources to add these programs into the curriculum. Through community partnerships and grant funding the programs at Neshaminy expanded to include outdoor Education with the intent of our students developing a life long interest in outdoor recreational activities. Activities such as orienteering, wilderness exploration, canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing, challenge activities, snow shoeing, and mountain biking have been added to the curriculum on the secondary level.

Creative steps were taken to both fund and facilitate these endeavors. Several small district grants as well as the PEP grant were written to help meet our equipment and program needs. A partnership was developed with a local bike shop to initiate a lease-to-buy bike program. State safety agencies provided helmets for our bikers and training for the Physical Education staff. The Future Fisherman Foundation and the American Canoe Association offered either grant opportunities or training for canoeing, kayaking and fly-fishing. Teachers were trained by the PA Fish and Boat Commission as instructors of the Boating and Water Safety Awareness Course. Local county parks were used as teaching areas, and pool facilities of neighboring schools within the district were utilized.

These resourceful ideas were presented at the National Convention in Tampa. Specifically, presenters from the Neshaminy Middle Schools highlighted teaching kayaking at a school without a pool, a mountain biking teaching progression starting at the elementary level, and a boating and water safety awareness course for the middle school program. Similar programs are offered at other STARS schools and were jointly presented at the same convention. Colleagues from Wisconsin and West Virginia collaborated to offer sample activities, demonstrations and curricular ideas for outdoor education.

Providing these opportunities for our students created an awareness of outdoor activities available to them. For many, this was their first attempt at such activities. Their interests have been peaked, and we hope to have created lifelong outdoor activity enthusiasts.

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